Housing and Social Policy: An Historical Perspective on Canadian ± American

Discussions of housing policy routinely lack historical depth. The consequences can be unfortunate. When old debates resurface they seem new, and so old mistakes are made all over again. Then again, as policies change so do national differences. Comparisons which, depending upon one ’ s politics, favour one country at one time may have run the other way a decade or two earlier. This compli-cates any attempt at explanation, especially one which appeals to enduring cultural dif-ferences. Lacking an historical perspective, then, even well-informed observers can miss their mark. A case in point, I believe, is Martin Wexler ’ s (1996) recent discussion o